SMIORE Receives Prestigious Seven Star Rating Award from Ministry of Mines

09 Jul 2025 CW Team

The Sandur Manganese & Iron Ores (SMIORE) has been conferred with the prestigious Seven Star Rating Award by the Ministry of Mines and the Indian Bureau of Mines (IBM) for its performance in the 2023–24 assessment year. The award recognises excellence in sustainable and green mining practices.

The felicitation took place on 7 July 2025 at the Rajasthan International Centre, Jaipur, during a national event honouring India's Five Star and Seven Star Rated Mines. The Seven Star Award was presented by Bhajanlal Sharma, Chief Minister of Rajasthan, in the presence of G Kishan Reddy, Union Minister of Coal and Mines.

SMIORE is the only mining company from South India to receive the Seven Star Rating and is among just three mines nationwide to achieve this recognition. In addition, the company’s Kammathuru Iron Ore Mine, located in Sandur Taluk, Ballari District and spanning 1,860.10 hectares, was awarded the Five Star Rating for 2023–24.

Instituted by the Indian Bureau of Mines, the Star Rating Awards aim to encourage sustainable mining and honour operations that demonstrate best practices across safety, environmental management, technological innovation, and community development.

Bahirji A Ghorpade, Managing Director of SMIORE, expressed pride in the recognition, highlighting the company’s consistent focus on sustainability and operational excellence. He noted that SMIORE has achieved the Five Star Rating every year since its inception, with the current Seven Star recognition marking a new milestone in the company’s journey towards responsible mining.

Infrastructure Transport

07 Apr 2026

Large Format Store Planned At M G Road Metro Station

M G Road station in Bengaluru is set to host the city’s first large-format commercial and experience space, with planning led by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited. BMRCL has invited proposals to develop and operate a central business district destination at the Purple?Pink Line interchange. The plan positions the station as a commercial hub designed to serve a broad commuter base across the city. The proposal is part of a broader effort to activate transit nodes commercially. Tender documents set a minimum monthly rental of Rs 0.944 million (mn), inclusive of GST, for the large-format..

Government Cancels Auction Of Eleven Critical Mineral Blocks

The government has cancelled the auction of 11 critical and strategic mineral blocks after receiving a poor investor response and failing to attract a sufficient number of qualified bidders. The decision represents a setback to plans to ramp up domestic exploration and production of critical minerals amid global supply chain disruptions and rising demand for materials used in clean energy and advanced technologies. The mines ministry issued an annulment notice setting out the reasons for the cancellations. The annulment notice indicated that the auction process for five mineral blocks was canc..

Gujarat Pushes Biogas Growth With 193 Operational Units

Gujarat has operationalised 193 biogas plants across the state and is planning to add 60 more units as part of a broader push to scale up clean and sustainable energy solutions. The existing plants, established under various government-supported schemes, process organic waste including cattle dung and agricultural residue to produce biogas and a nutrient-rich slurry. The output is mainly used for cooking and other energy needs in rural and semi-urban communities, while also improving local waste management practices. The Gujarat Energy Development Agency (GEDA) is leading the initiative and is..